This background description provides context for the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this disclosure and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing has become much more common. Yet, despite its increasing availability, 3D printing often remains a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, at least partly because of the wide variety of technology related to both the printers and the printing materials (e.g., plastics, powdered metal, and wax). Because of this variation, 3D printers are often engineered to take advantage of a particular print technology or printing material. This specialization typically leads to printers that are heavy, complex, and expensive because they include multiple motors, customized printing tips, and heating elements.
Additionally, 3D printers present safety concerns for users. Current 3D printers often include automated moving parts—the printing tip, the printing platform, and so forth. These parts move automatically and could cause an injury to a user. Further, current 3D printers typically require heated components (e.g., the printing tip) and may run at temperatures high enough to cause injury. Consequently, current printers also require additional safety equipment, including labels to warn users about hot components and moving parts, along with covers, guards, lockout mechanisms, sensors, and so forth.